Plot Synopsis

MIND OF A MONSTER is a series of specials that explore the psyche of some of America's most iconic serial killers. Real footage and audio from the criminals themselves reveal chilling insights into their lives and personalities and the twisted reasoning behind their deadly actions. How is it that a seemingly normal, and often outwardly charming individual could transform into a monster whose crimes are the work of nightmares?

The anthology series began with TED BUNDY: MIND OF A MONSTER, which premiered Sunday, August 18, 2019 from 9-11pm ET/PT on Investigation Discovery. This first installment delves into Theodore "Ted" Bundy, who became infamous after his crime spree spanned from coast to coast, included two prison escapes, and culminated a decade later with a death sentence. Bundy used his abundant charisma and good looks to prey on countless young women throughout the 1970s, seamlessly flipping from charming stranger to dangerous criminal and claiming the lives of more than thirty women. Through new interviews with those closest to the case, and haunting recordings from Bundy himself, TED BUNDY: MIND OF A MONSTER reveals the comprehensive, most intimate look into Bundy's life from beginning to end, detailing his transformation into one of the worst serial killers America has ever seen.

AILEEN WUORNOS: MIND OF A MONSTER, the second special, premiered on Wednesday, January 1, 2020 from 10pm-Midnight ET/PT on Investigation Discovery. Starting in late 1989 through November 1990, seven men in and around Marion County, Florida fell victim to an elusive serial killer. As detectives slowly pieced together the evidence, they discovered the killer they were after was a woman named Aileen Wuornos. Her subsequent arrest and trial would forever solidify her place in history as America's most notorious female serial killer. The details of Aileen's crimes are laid out through new interviews with those closest to the case, including members of the Marion County Police Department, members of the defense and prosecution teams, forensic specialists, family members of the victims, and most notably, Aileen's best friend Dawn Botkins. Botkins saved the letters and drawings Aileen sent her while incarcerated and shares them throughout the special, providing insight into Aileen's complicated thought process surrounding the crimes. AILEEN WUORNOS: MIND OF A MONSTER reveals the most intimate look into Wuornos' life from beginning to end, from her troubled childhood to her eventual transformation into a prolific serial killer.

THE GREEN RIVER KILLER: MIND OF A MONSTER, the third special, debuted on Monday, February 17, 2020 from 9-11pm ET/PT on Investigation Discovery. Beginning in the early 1980s, Washington state was gripped with fear as the bodies of young women began appearing along the banks of the Green River. As the number of victims grew, investigators created a taskforce and enlisted the help of the FBI, but it took almost 20 years to finally catch their man. Through startling and chilling tapes and video archive of Gary Ridgway's police interviews, this special reveals, in Ridgway's own disturbing words, insight into his evil: from how his troubling behavior as a child morphed into his morbid motivation to murder as many women as possible. With in-depth interviews from investigators who worked tirelessly to solve the case. As one of America's most prolific serial killers, Gary Ridgway earned his moniker from the area where he chose to dispose of his victims -- along the banks of the Green River in Washington state. Ridgway was convicted of killing 49 women between 1982 and 2001, though he confessed to 71 murders and it is believed he committed more than 90. Ridgway utilized the Pacific Highway South to stalk vulnerable, transient young women, many in their teens. To his friends and neighbors, Ridgway came across as a "stand-up guy" and loving father and husband, a characteristic he often exploited in order to give his victims a false sense of security. A suspect from as early as 1983, Ridgway continued to evade investigators for close to two decades, as they struggled to conclusively link him to the crimes. Ridgway was eventually caught in 2001, after DNA linked him to some of his early victims. THE GREEN RIVER KILLER: MIND OF A MONSTER delves into every facet of Ridgway's complicated psyche, exposing how he eventually transformed into a prolific serial killer.